


Of Glass Doors and Katsudon

by Zombubble



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gift Exchange, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, boys taking care of each other, mermaid au, mervik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 20:19:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17270450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombubble/pseuds/Zombubble
Summary: Yuuri'd barely thought about telling his parents he was in a relationship, and with a merman no less, but finding his boyfriend unconscious on the beach forces his hand. The onsen, always his home and a source of comfort, offers refuge, a safe place for Viktor to heal and experience just a taste of Yuuri's world.





	Of Glass Doors and Katsudon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pensversusswords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pensversusswords/gifts).



> Written for Mar for a friendly gift exchange!! I'm so sorry it's a bit late, stuff's been hectic. Happy Holidays and a very happy (and hopefully good) New Year!!!!!!! I hope you like it!!!!!
> 
> Mer Viktor and a Yuuri that works at his parents' onsen.

“Yuuri!” Mari’s voice filters through the coastal fog. It sounds urgent. Yuuri drops the scrap of netting he’d found, jogging across the sand until he sees his sister come into view. A dim lump in the fog at the moment, she’s crouching next to an even longer lump, and as Yuuri draws close, he feels his heart leap into his throat. He knows that tail, knows the shimmering flecks of blue and green in the black and he knows those fins and that pattern of gills on the merman’s ribs and he sprints over, sending sand flying as he skids to a stop.

“Viktor!” Though he doesn’t look injured, he certainly looks ill. Not that Yuuri knows exactly what merman physiology is like but… he’s pale. His scales have a dull sheen, his fins are drooping where before they hadn’t and Yuuri hauls his head into his lap. “Viktor, please, you… Mari help?”

His sister raises an eyebrow but nods. She’s known about Viktor for a few months now, having run across them during one of their frequent picnics (and Yuuri doesn't know if she saw them kiss but the look in her eyes says she’s not _entirely_ unaware of the bond they share and if Yuuri wasn’t so worried, he’d blush), and she looks around for a moment before nodding again. “I’m going to get the truck,” she says, “you wait here and try to keep people from seeing him.”

It’s foggy, which should help, but it also means Yuuri won’t know people are around until they’re almost too close.

“Hurry,” he says, as Viktor’s labored breathing fills his ears. “Please.”

In response, his sister runs off.

 

Explaining to his parents goes better than Yuuri had hoped it would, and Toshiya’s reaction to finding out there’s an unconscious merman in the back of his pickup truck is merely to ask if Yuuri and Mari want to take the vehicle around back to one of the pools they don’t use for customers. It’s too deep for comfort, and too large to effectively regulate the heat without their electricity bill skyrocketing so it’s hidden behind a tall, gated fence.

Which makes it perfect for hiding Viktor.

It takes the three of them to get Viktor into the pool, his long tail causing the bulk of the problem being made of solid muscle, but once he’s in, he seems to wake up a bit. Yuuri tosses his phone to the side, jumping in (clothes and all) to drag Viktor to a shallower area. His lips are bluer than usual, but it had been a bitterly cold night and Yuuri doesn’t have any idea how long he’d been laying on the beach. He should be okay. Probably. Maybe. Yuuri bites back tears and presses a kiss to Viktor’s forehead, pulling back to see fluttering eyelids and a weak smile.

“Yuuri,” Viktor whispers.

“Vitya, hey.” Relief floods Yuuri as he pulls Viktor close. “What happened to you?”

“Boat spilled something,” he whispers, voice shaky and weak and Yuuri pulls him close again as he continues. “I don’t… ‘m not sure what it was that went through my gills but I feel terrible.”

“You look it,” Yuuri whispers. “Should I call a doctor? Or… a vet? Are there mer-doctors?”

“We have healers,” Viktor says, “but I don’t—” Looking decidedly nauseous, he turns to Yuuri, clinging to him as his tail wraps around Yuuri’s legs.

“Viktor?!” Unable to move freely, Yuuri just looks at his boyfriend, now clutching his stomach. “I can… I have my diving certification and I can go try to find someone, they can’t be too far, you said it’s not a long swim and I can take a boat out or something. Unless it’s magic? How do you—”

“I’m _alright,_ Yuuri,” Viktor replies after a moment. Clearly straining to speak, he does his best and Yuuri combs Viktor’s long hair away from his face, cups his cheek in hand. “We’re a bit hardier than humans, I should be fine after some rest.”

“Are you sure? I-I don't mind at all, and healers sound important and—”

“Yuuri,” Viktor says, soft and soothing and Yuuri didn't mean to make Viktor comfort _him_ but here they are. “I just need rest.”

Yuuri nods. Still weak, Viktor does his best to look around.

“What is this? Where am I?”

“One of the smaller pools at my family's onsen. It's hidden; don't worry.” It takes a moment, but understanding floods Viktor's face as he smiles. Yuuri's explained the onsen and the inn his family runs on multiple occasions, describing the soothing heat of the mineral-rich water and the taste of his mother's cooking and Viktor had always said he wanted to come see it.

Probably not like this, though.

“Will you stay with me, Yuuri?”

Glancing back at the inn, Yuuri bites his lower lip.

“I can’t stay in the water, I’ll get sick. I’ll come out and check often every day while I’m working but… Do you see that window?” He points at his bedroom window, blue curtains swaying gently in the breeze, and is glad when Viktor nods. “That’s my bedroom. I sleep there and if the light is on inside, I’m in and can see you if you wave. I’ll come check on you if you need anything.”

“Do you promise?” Viktor asks.

“I do,” Yuuri says, smiling as Viktor nods sleepily.

“Okay.”

When Yuuri loosens his grip, Viktor turns and with a weak splash of his tail, swims away to curl up on the floor of the pool. As he walks to the edge to climb out, Yuuri feels a reassuring pat on the side of his calf and he smiles. Yes, Viktor’s sick, but it seems he was telling the truth, and he’ll be okay with some rest.

 

~*~

 

Sighing, Viktor floats lazily in the spring. The water feels warm, though Yuuri has repeatedly assured him it’s cool comparatively, and the stars glitter faintly overhead. It’s been two weeks now since Viktor had been found by Yuuri and his sister. He glances over at a box Yuuri’d left near the edge of the pool, holding a few snacks, a handheld electric light, and a smaller light that puts a red dot on the wall when Viktor plays with it. The lights are for signalling Yuuri, telling him Viktor needs (or wants) food or company or some of that tea thing Yuuri’d introduced him to. Still somewhat weakened from whatever chemicals he’d swam through, Viktor can’t feel much of his sea magic. Turning his focus inward, he feels a dim spark. Not enough for anything big, no, but enough for a simple transformation spell. Instead of signalling, Viktor decides, he’s going to go into the human building and find Yuuri.

He’s never found legs easy to manage, he remembers as he clumsily climbs out of the pool, but he knows enough about using them that he should be okay with some practice. Looking around, he sees the hole in the wall Yuuri uses to come in and out, and he smiles. The grass is soft underfoot as he walks, tickling his toes until he’s almost giggling with delight. Beyond the gate, it’s bright— almost as bright as the midday sun and Viktor squints. Lamps. Yuuri brings one sometimes when he comes out, attached to his phone, but it’s nowhere near this bright.

It’s unpleasant. By nature, Viktor tends to stick to the dark of the ocean, on the floor and in caves hundreds of feet below the surface. Not the darkest area of the ocean by far, but much darker than this and Viktor finds the light almost painful. There are humans in a steaming pool near him, and they smile, nodding their heads as he walks through. He returns the gesture, presumably some sort of greeting, and goes towards the hole in the wall.

Running into aforementioned hole is not what he expects to do. Confused, he rubs his nose with one hand and reaches out gingerly with the other.

Somehow, he touches air, can feel it solid and firm and _cold_ under his fingers and he withdraws his hand, looking around.

A wrinkly human smiles from the other side of the hole, reaching toward something on the side that he then pulls, and suddenly there’s no barrier. The human gestures for Viktor to go through, which he does, and then the human follows suit in the opposite direction. Whatever was blocking Viktor glints as it swings shut, and he looks at his new surroundings.

They’re the soft green of shallow waters, of seafoam, and Viktor feels a pull in his heart as he looks around. Taking a slow step forward, Viktor feels the ground cool under his feet, slick with water and he holds his arms out. Balance has never been his strong suit. He’s never really needed it, and now he wishes he’d listened to his magic instructor’s teachings about humans. Slowly, he takes a step forward, and then another. A third has him grinning, pleased that he's gotten so far, before a fourth has him shrieking as he plummets downwards.

The floor is hard, but he isn't in much pain as he sits up, legs to either side.

There's a loud click and quick footsteps before Yuuri comes flying around the corner.

“Vitya?! What are you— Do you have _feet?”_

“Yuuri! Hello! I thought I'd come find you!”

Frantic, Yuuri looks around. “Uh, umm, stay here for a second, I need to find you a towel, or some clothes or-or _something.”_

Blinking, Viktor looks at him. “Clothes?”

“You know what clothes are,” Yuuri says, gesturing at his body. “Humans… we wear clothes when we're around most other humans, I can't just… let you wander around the rest of the onsen like this.”

Viktor shrugs. “Okay.” He's never understood why humans wrap themselves up like parcels, but following their customs shouldn't hurt.

Kneeling and pressing a kiss to Viktor’s lips, Yuuri reminds him to stay put, for the love of god, and not wander off. It isn't difficult, Viktor can still feel water on the floor and knows trying to stand will only result in another fall. Yuuri comes back quickly, insisting that he rinse Viktor off before he lets Viktor towel himself dry. After that comes the somewhat puzzling process of getting the right limbs through the right holes, but it doesn't take long until he's clothed in a loose green outfit, softer than he'd expected but still strange against his skin. Two towels are draped over his shoulder, soaking up the water in his hair that Yuuri hadn't managed to wring out. Long as it is, it's heavy on Viktor's back while he clings to Yuuri as they make their way through the building.

Soon enough, Yuuri has him tucked away at a table, sitting on a soft reed mat.

“Are you hungry?”

Viktor nods.

“I can get some food,” Yuuri says. When he sees Viktor’s raised eyebrow, he laughs, pecking him on the nose before standing. “Nothing _cooked,_ don’t worry. I know better.”

“I want tea, too,” Viktor says.

“Alright, alright. I’ll be right back.”

 

Within a few minutes, Yuuri’s mother walks over with a tray. A plate of raw fish and seaweed salad and then a steaming mug is set in front of him, the fragrant scent of jasmine drifting through the air, and Viktor almost reaches out to grab it before remembering it’s hot.

He’s not used to _hot,_ really, not as far as everyday food goes. The closest he gets in the ocean are the vents towards the bottom, belching boiling water when Viktor gets too close. The warmth is fun, but not something he’d thought would apply to anything he was eating. Or, well, drinking. Not that he was used to the concept of drinking much at all before he’d met Yuuri near his favorite sunbathing rocks.

The day stands out in Viktor’s memory for many reasons, not the least of which was Yuuri’s curiosity and his radiant smile and the way he shared bits of the sweet candy he had with Viktor.

Initially, he’d come back to talk to the nice human and to get more sweets, something he’d never had before, but slowly he’d grown to like, and then love Yuuri and, well. Here they are. After the accident, he’d swam to shore, to the secluded area where he usually meets Yuuri in the hopes that the human would find him and keep him safe. He hadn’t been disappointed.

Yuuri walks in with his own tea just as Viktor snatches a piece of fish up with his hand, shoving it into his mouth. Clearing his throat, Yuuri pulls Viktor’s attention. “I brought a fork,” he says, holding out a miniature pronged spear. Viktor raises an eyebrow.

“Why would I need this?”

“To hold your food,” Yuuri says. “For the salad, specifically. You can eat the fish with your hands.”

"You eat your sandwiches with your hands," Viktor points out.

"That's different, use the fork while there are customers."

Waving him close, Viktor moves to whisper in his ear. “Am I supposed to be acting like a human?”

“It would draw fewer questions,” Yuuri admits sheepishly, “though we’ll be closing for the night soon and after that you don’t  have to worry. My family and I all know you’re… not human, so you can be as… not-human as you want.”

“Do I have to keep wearing the clothes?” Viktor asks.

Shrugging, Yuuri brushes a piece of hair behind his glasses while his face grows redder. “It… uhh, if they’re uncomfortable I guess not it’s just… probably?”

Viktor chuckles. “I don’t mind! These are actually quite comfortable; I thought it’d feel worse.”

“What do you expect, sailcloth?”

“Well, most of the fabric I see is from shipwrecks,” Viktor says, “so yes.”

Humming in agreement, Yuuri nods. “Clothing isn’t so rough.”

Nodding, Viktor turns towards his food. The salad looks good, as it always does, whatever ingredients Yuuri’s mom added creating a pleasing smell, and he grips the fork in his fist as he stabs it into the mess of seaweed. It does a surprisingly good job of picking it up, albeit in a much larger amount than Viktor would normally take, but he shoves it in his mouth just the same, chewing quickly before swallowing. He spears a piece of fish, just because he can, and shoves that in his mouth, too.

Yuuri’s mother reappears once more, setting a bowl of katsudon in front of Yuuri. Viktor makes a face. He’d tried it once, when he’d first felt strong enough to eat after his illness, but found it repulsive. It’s not that it’s made from a land mammal, necessarily, though Viktor doesn’t eat many of those to begin with. It was the heat, the texture, the crunch, the gooeyness of the rice and whatever thick, slimy juices humans put on it mixing unpleasantly in Viktor’s mouth.

It’s cute how much Yuuri enjoys it, though. He picks at it with a pair of chopsticks he holds carefully in hand, taking his time to savor the dish. He’d said it’s his favorite, that his mom makes it for him when he has something to celebrate, and the fond smile on his face says he’ll never tire of it.

 

Dinner finished, Yuuri gets a comb and kneels behind Viktor. “So what are you doing after I finish this?” he asks, working the tangles out of Viktor’s hair, starting at the ends hanging low on his back.

“I was thinking I could sleep with you!”

“What.”

Viktor goes to turn, but stops when Yuuri holds his head in place. “I want to sleep with you, Yuuri,” he says. “I’ve never felt a bed before and the way you keep saying you love yours makes me want to try it.”

“Oh. _Oh._  You want to sleep in here with me?”

Viktor nods. “We could cuddle without your lips turning blue.”

“Yours turn blue,” Yuuri mutters.

“That’s my natural coloring and you know it,” Viktor says.

Yuuri chuckles as his nimble fingers card gently through Viktor’s hair, working the tangles out in preparation for a braid. Capable of doing it himself, Viktor still doesn’t interrupt. He knows Yuuri likes playing with his hair, likes feeling it, soft against his fingers, and that it’s a sort of intimacy for the human. It would be a lie to say Viktor doesn’t enjoy being cared for like this, and he sighs happily, even as Yuuri gets close to completing his task.

“I’d like that,” Yuuri says softly as he ties off Viktor’s braid. “Cuddling with you tonight. You’re feeling well enough to stay human?”

“I’m not entirely sure I have the energy to change back yet,” Viktor confesses, turning to face his boyfriend. “But regardless, it’s little effort to stay human unless it goes on too long.” There’s no use getting into the semantics of what ‘being human’ means, Viktor still isn’t and never will be despite the transformation, but it makes sense in the context of Yuuri’s non-magical world.

“I _want_ to cuddle with you,” Viktor emphasizes.

Eyes sparkling, Yuuri smiles and nods.

 

~*~

 

Rolling over in bed, Yuuri blinks groggily into the sunlight. The bed next to him is empty, and a glance out the window says Viktor’s not in his pool, so he must be downstairs. Yuuri stands, slipping his feet into his house slippers and making his way downstairs. Though the inn isn’t closed for business, it doesn’t seem like they have any guests, and Yuuri wanders back into the kitchens only to see Viktor standing at the stove near a pot of boiling eggs.

“I’m making breakfast!” Viktor exclaims when he notices Yuuri.

“I can see that.” Recently, Viktor’s taken a liking to more foods than before, venturing so far as to start with cooked vegetables and work his way up. He still prefers meat raw, but aside from that, he’s getting used to at least tasting the foods Yuuri’s family makes. Wandering close to his boyfriend, Yuuri puckers his lips for a kiss, smiling when he gets what he asked for. He gets another, and then a third on his nose, a fourth on his forehead, and he’s laughing by the time Viktor wraps his arms around him.

“I missed you, Yuuri,” he says into the shell of Yuuri’s ear.

Yuuri giggles. “I was upstairs, we slept in the same bed. What are you going to do when you have to go back?”

Serious, yet still happy, Viktor looks Yuuri in the eye. “Take you with me,” he says.

Laughing, Yuuri reaches to pour himself a cup of coffee. “I don't think I have the equipment for that.”

“I can do magic,” Viktor says. “I'd love to see your tail.”

“You— Really?!” The prospect of seeing Viktor's world fills him with a giddiness unlike any other, and he smiles as Viktor brushes a bit of Yuuri's hair away from his glasses.

“Of course! You can meet my octopus, she's adorable! She might ink you, though. But only if she likes you.”

Rocking forward on the balls of his feet, Yuuri presses a kiss to Viktor’s (slightly cold) lips, threads the fingers of one hand through his hair before pulling back.

“I’d love to,” he says, glancing around. “I’ll have to make sure my parents have help, but… I’d _love_ to, Vitya.”

The smile on Viktor’s face is full of adoration and excitement, the way he clasps his hands in front of his chest endearing in its enthusiasm and Yuuri wouldn’t— _couldn’t—_ pass this opportunity up if you paid him.

“That, and I can tell everyone I’m alive!!” Neither Viktor’s face nor his voice lose any of the cheer they hold and Yuuri feels his eyes widen.

“It’s been _months_ and you haven’t _told anyone?!”_

Viktor merely shrugs, still grinning, and Yuuri just covers his face.

“I can’t believe you,” Yuuri mutters. “You can do magic, and you’ve said you can talk to fish, and you haven’t… not even…”

“It’ll be fine!” Warm arms envelop Yuuri and there’s a kiss on the top of his head and he feels his worry lessen as Viktor holds him. “Yuuri,” he says, soft and soothing and gentle, “it’ll be fine. I’ve vanished before plenty, and I’ll have you with me! They won’t get mad at you, and you can try our food and see my light pattern— what did you call it again?”

“Bioluminescence.”

“Right, that!” Sighing happily, Viktor rests his forehead on Yuuri’s, swaying as he holds him. “I’ll send a fish tonight, would that make you happy?”

Yuuri nods into his chest, smiling when there’s another kiss on the top of his head and Viktor’s arms squeeze him tight.

“Feeling better?” Viktor asks.

“A bit, but… don’t let go?”

“Never,” Viktor says, laughing before kissing him again. “Never.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!!!
> 
> As usual, I can be found on [tumblr](https://we-call-everything-katsudon.tumblr.com/) and [twitter,](https://twitter.com/zombubble) as well as [pillowfort!!](https://www.pillowfort.io/Zombubble)


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